Shock-absorbing device.



G. E. CUTLER & B. L. IVIONESMITH.

SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. I4. I9I4.

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APPLICATION FILED OCT. 14. I9I'4.

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SHOCK-ABSORBING DEVICE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

patented Dec. 2%, ilgf.

Application filed October 14, 191e. Serial No. 866,654.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE E. CUTLEP. and BERT L. MonEsMrrH, citizens of the llnitcd States, and residents of Mount Verf non, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, and of Cresco, in the county of Howard and State of lowa, respectively, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Shock-Absorbing Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in shock absorbing devices and has relation more particularly to a device of this general character especially designed and adapted for use in connection with carriers; and an object of the invention is to provide device of this general character having novel and improved means whereby the possibility of injury to the load of the carrier during transit thereof is substantially entirely eliminated.

rlhe invention also khas for an object to provide a novel and improved device of this general character comprising a supplemental -load receiving member capable of movement independently of the carrier proper and in the same general direction as the direction of travel of the carrier in connection with vibratory means coacting with the supplemental load receiving member.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this general character having novel and improved means whereby the same may be applied into operative position with convenience and facility whereby the same may be readily and conveniently adjusted into or out of operative position.

rlhe invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of our improved shock absorbing device whereby certain important advantages are attained. and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

rlhe novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the appended claims. ln order that our invention may be the better understood, we 'will now proceedt'o describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a view in top plan of a shock absorber constructed in accordance with an embodiment of our invention in applied position, the coacting car being indicated in section; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in top plan of ourinvention as herein set forth, the coacting vportion of the car body being also shown in section; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of our improved device, with a coacting car body being indicated in section; Fig. 4: is a fragmentary transverse sectional view illustrating certain features of construction of our invention as herein set forth; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. Il, but illustrating further details of construction; and F ig. 6 is a fragmentary view in top plan of the device as disclosed in Fig. 5.

les disclosed in the accompanying drawings, we set forth an embodiment of our in vention coacting with a freight car preferably of a cold storage type, as is gene ally employed for the transportation of eggs or the like, but we wish to be particularly understood as not limiting ourselves to this specific` application of .ourinvention as we are fully aware'that it may be employed in connection with various other carriers with equal facility and convenience.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, 1 denotes the body of `a conventional refrigerator car provided at opposite sides with the door-ways 2. Positioned within the body of the car l at eachend thereof and disposed transversely thereof is the butler beam 3 snugly iitting within the body of the car, for a purpose which will hereinafter be more fully set forth.

lt is an essential feature of our invention to superimpose upon-the floor 4f of the car .body l a supplemental load receiving element 5 herein disclosed as comprising a pluv rality of sections G, 7 and 8 which will hereinafter be more particularly referred to.

Each of the end sections G and S is divided longitudinally into duplicate parts 9, each of such parts being capable of ready and convenient insertion through either of the doorsways 2 and is preferably of a length to extend from a predetermined point away 'fromfa buer'b'eain 3 to substantially the adjacent side of the door-ways 2. The intermediate section '7 is of a length siibstantially equal to the transverse diameter of` the floor Il and of a width substantially equal to the width of the door-ways 2 whereby it will be readily perceived that the sections 6, 7 and 8 have their adjacent extremities in Contact whereby the same are capable of operation as a single element.

As herein embodied, each of the' parts 9 of the sections 6 and S and the intermediate section 7 comprises 'a plurality of transverse beams or holsters 10 having their upper surfaces tied or connected by the spaced slats 11 in a conventional manner, land it is to be observed that interposed between the outer end bolsters of the sections lGand 8 and the adjacent buffer beams 3 are the 'vibratory or expansible members 12 herein disclosed as conventional coil springs possessing requisite tension which serve as an effective medium whereby any movement of the supplemental load receiving element vin the same general direction as the travel Yof the car body will be readily and effectively compensated for whereby it will be Aperceived that the possibility of injury to Vthe load will be substantially entirely eliminated, and which arrangement is especially desirable when such load comprises fragile -merchandise, such as eggs or ,the like, or eX- plosives or of any other character which could possibly be injured uponV receiving un- "due shock or jar. It is to be stated that the yvibratory or expansible members 12 engage the supplemental load receiving element 5 Yunder tension at all times whereby an immediate response of such member 5, incident to shock, is assured. It has also been found of advantage to have coacting with the vibratory or expansible members 12, the cross members or beams 23 which directly engage Ythe adjacent extremities of the element 5, each member or beam being common to all of the vibratory or expansible members 12 atthe adjacent end of the car. In order that the requisite movement of the supplemental load receiving element 5 may be accomplished with a minimum of resistance, we find it of advantage vto employ a suitable anti-friction means coacting and interposed between the supplemental load receiving element and the floor of the car body and, as herein embodied, such anti-friction means Acomprise the rollers 1J: suitably supported bv the various sections G, 7 and 8 and ypositioned therebeneatli and disposed transner which may be employed with facility, 4 we have found it ofk particular advantage to secure to the inner faces of certain of the beams or holsters 10 the bracket inembers 16 including the spaced perforate ears 17 which afford a convenient and effective mounting for the rollers 111, hereinbefore referred to.

It sometimes cceurs in practice that it is desirable to dispense with the use of the supplemental load receiving element 5 without the necessity of removing the saine from within the car body 1 and, as herein einbodied, we provide for this contingency by having each of the parts 9 of the sections 6 and S provided along its outer longitudinal edge with the arm 18 projecting laterally therebeyond and terminating in a downwardly disposed hook member 19 adapted to engage the elongated horizontally disposed loop member ZO whereby it will be perceived that such sections may be swung Yupwardly when desired and that the loop members Q0 in no wise interfere with the endwise movement of such pai'ts. In order to prevent the parts 9 of each of the sections 6 and 8 from moving one independently of the other, we provide the adjacent longitudinal margins thereof with the coacting locking means 2l, herein disclosed as a spring tongue projecting laterally of and beyond the inner longitudinal margin of one of the parts 9 and coacting with the latch member 22 depending from the adjacent longitudinal marginal portion of the coacting part 9, in a manner which is believed Vto be clearly apparent to those skilled .in the art to which our present invention appertains.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a shock absorbing device constructed in accordance with our invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled, and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of4 some change and modification without material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason we do not ing out our invention in practice.

le claim:

1. rl`he combination with a carrier provided with a load receiving fioor, of a supplemental load receiving element superimposed upon tlie floor of the carrier and capable of independent movement in the saine general direction as the direction of travel of the carrier, anti-friction rollers interposed between tlie floor and element and disposed transversely and extending substantially entirely across the element, and vibratory means coacting with the ends of the supplemental load receiving element.

2. The combination with a carrier provided u'ith a load receiving floor, of a supplemental load receiving element superimposed upon the floor of the carrier and capable of independent movement in the same general direction as the direction of travel of the carrier, anti-friction rollers carried by the element and positioned therebeneath, said rollers extending transversely of and extending substantially entirely across the supplemental load receiving element, and vibratory means coacting with the ends of the .supplemental load receiving element.

3. The combination With a carrier provided With a load receiving surface, of a supplemental load receiving element supported by the load receiving surface and capable of independent movement thereon in the same general direction as the direction of travel of the carrier, shock absorbing means coacting with the supplemental load receiving element, said supplemental load receiving element comprising a plurality of sections occupying substantially the same plane when in assembled relation, certain of said sections being connected With the carrier and capable of movement in a vertical plane, each of the connections between the sections and the carrier including a loop member, and an arm slidably engaged with the loop member.

4L. The combination With a carrier provided With a load receiving surface, of a. supplemental load receiving element supported by the load receiving surface and capable of independent movement thereon in the same general direction as the direction of travel of the carrier, shock absorbing means coacting With the supplemental load receiving element, said supplemental load receiving element comprising a plurality of sections occupying substantially the same plane when in assembled relation, said sections being capable of independent movement, one relative to the other and means for pivotally connecting certain of the sections to the carrier, each of said connecting means comprising an elongated loop disposed longitudinally of the carrier and secured thereto, and an arm projecting from a section and slidably engaging the loop.

In testimony whereof We hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE CUTLER. BERT L. MONESMITH. Witnesses:

D. YV. GALL, W. E. LAWSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

